Advice please

[Little Birder]

I recently saw a Herring Gull sized Gull with very vibrant Yellow Legs. I was wondering if there was any other possibility other than yellow legged gull. I know Herring Gulls can have yellow legs but only out of Europe. European species have pink legs. Is there any other possibility other than yellow legged gull?

[Shrike]

Lesser black-backed Gull ?
although it would need to be still in summer plumage to fit

[RoyW]

Gulls are fun!

I'm afraid that leg colour isn't enough to identify a Yellow-legged Gull.
As Shrike has said, Lesser Blcak-backed Gulls also have bright yellow legs (though these are somewhat duller in most individuals during the winter), and unfortunately they can sometimes look relatively pale grey backed.

An additional pitfall, which many people may be less aware of, is that Herring Gulls can have yellow legs!
This seems to be more common with the northern race of Herring Gull, found in Scandinavia, but these are regular winter visitors to the UK - and "British" race Herring Gulls can sometimes have yellow legs as well.
Yellow-legged Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)

[Deb London]

Arrrggghhhh, gulls are so confusing.

Is there anything other than back and leg colour to tell LBB and Herring Gulls apart?

[aeshna5]

Lesser Black-backs tend to be sleeker, longer winged birds (less sedentary in general than Herring, though increasing numbers seem to be resident in cities), wing-tip patterns are useful + the colour of the orbital ring is red in LBB + yellow to orange in Herring.

Everything gets more complex with northern races of both species present in winter as well as the confusion of Yellow-legged + Caspian Gulls with these white headed larger gulls. The genetics of these different gull types are still pushing taxonomists when considered with other forms in the northern hemisphere. It often seems the more you begin to learn about the larger gulls the more confusing it gets!

[Deb London]

Yes, I'm beginning to see that it just doesn't seem to get easier.



Thanks for the extra pointers aeshna5. We studied and studied some gulls today and really didn't get anywhere. As far as I was concerned they were all Herring Gulls with yellow legs. But then I found some similar ones, with darker backs. I imagine these must have been LBB gulls. But the two groups weren't side-by-side, so in the end I was defeated.

[actionfinch]

I passed them by at one time, but because there all around ,its a task to try and get to know them.
Keep persisting debs, i am ..

[Deb London]

Thanks for the encouragement Lee.

[RoyW]

Structural differences can be very useful - but are subtle, and need to be learnt. Wing tip patterns, and underwing patterns can also be useful, but these can be hard to see (and there is slight variability).

If you saw several gulls with yellow legs, and similar back colours, they are unlikely to have been Herring Gull. The first ones may have been graellsii LBb Gulls, and the darker ones could have been the more northern intermedius race (or they could havd been the same race under different lighting conditions - even the angle of the light can alter the apparent tone!).

[Deb London]

It's still confusing. The first lot was a group of three. One was immature, one had yellow legs, but a dull yellow. The farthest seemed to have pink legs.